By Amy Cassara on Friday, October 5, 2007.
The United Nations' estimates that the current rate of species extinction is 1,000 times greater than it would be without human-induced habitat change, introduction of invasive species, and overexploitation. Last month, the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) 2007 Red List, an annual report on the conservation status of the world's species, provided a more thorough accounting of this biodiversity loss. The IUCN reports that one in four mammals, one in eight birds, and one in three amphibians are in jeopardy.
The United Nations' estimates that the current rate of species extinction is 1,000 times greater than it would be without human-induced habitat change, introduction of invasive species, and overexploitation. Last month, the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) 2007 Red List, an annual report on the conservation status of the world's species, provided a more thorough accounting of this biodiversity loss. The IUCN reports that one in four mammals, one in eight birds, and one in three amphibians are in jeopardy.
More than 7,000 species experts from around the world collaborate to evaluate the status of more than 41,000 species. The Red List is unique in its global scope and the breadth of life that it examines; it includes invertebrates, plants, fungi, and algae. However, while many species groups, such as birds and mammals, are evaluated comprehensively, only a small percentage of invertebrates, plants, and fish are classified. In total, fewer than three percent of the world's 1.6 million described species have been systematically evaluated. As a result, the number of species that are actually under threat could be much higher.
This year's report includes some success stories. The Mauritian parakeet (pictured at the top of this post) was upgraded from Critically Endangered to Endangered after years of intensive recovery management. However, many other species, including the Indian crocodile, the Western gorilla, Speke's gazelle and the Egyptian vulture were assigned a more threatened status in this assessment (see http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/” for more information).
For the first time this year, the Red List included species of corals. Several species endemic to the Galapagos Islands, facing the twin threats of El Nino and climate change, have been classified as endangered. Marine species are typically underrepresented in these assessments, and the IUCN is working to classify the conservation status of 15,000 additional marine species by 2010.
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